Adjustable handle-bar



(No Model.)

A B NE 0m m EH ME Am m IS LU IJ w No. 604,389. Patented May 24, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN LAWRENCE'HAMILTON, JR, OF HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,389, dated May 24,1898. Application filed Novenlber 19,1896. Serial No. eiz eos (No mat.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN LAWRENCE HAM- ILTON, Jr., a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at IIoopeston, in the county of Vermilion andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinHandle-Bars for Bicycles or Velocipedes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable handle-bars forbicycles or velocipedes, and has for its object the provision of meansof such a new andnovel construction and combination of parts andelements that will permit of the most accurate, efiective, andinstantaneous adjustment of the handlebar into any position or anglewhile the bicycle or Velocipede is in full motion and without thenecessity of the rider having to dismount.

My invention has further for its object the provision of means wherebythe type of handle-bar generally known as the rams-horn pattern can beinstantly transformed into the type or style known as the upturned bar.

My invention also has certain other objects in view, which will be fullydescribed and pointed out in the specification and claims hereuntoannexed, reference being now had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of my device, showing its appearance andgeneral construction as applied to an ordinary handle-bar, with partsbroken away to partly show the innerconstruction. Fig. 2 is across-section al elevation on line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the engagingdevices held in their normal position by means of the separable sleeveor thimble. Fig. 3 is the same sectional elevation as shown in Fig. 2,but with the sleeve or thimble in partly in section, of my device shownin Fig. I

. l, showing furtherin detailthe manner of construction of the partsadapted to the steering-head and also showing the manner of constructionof the steering-post and handlebar, which construction enables me toapply my device to any make or form of bicycle having a hollowsteering-head. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, partly in section, showingmy device as applied to a bicycle of special construction in which thestem of the front fork is extended above the steering-head of the frameand is utilized as a part of my clutch mechanism, wherebythesteering-post of the handle-bar is securely locked and keyed in itsproper position and cannot by any means be removed from that positionexcept through the ordinary process of adjustment. Fig. 8 is aperspective of the movable sleeve or thimble, more clearly showing itsconstruction and manner of application to the handle-bar.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings the operationof my device will be more readily understood. A represents a handle-barof any pattern or shape provided with a series of corrugations or flutesA for a part of its length. The han dle-bar is supported and held inposition by means of the hollow cylindrical top portion B of thesteering-post 0, this cylindrical top portion B of the steering-post 0being pro- Vided with one or more slots or openings B, which slots oropenings B carry and hold in position the engaging and securing devices13 which engaging devices 13 also rest in one or more of the series offlutes or grooves A in the handle-bar A. An adjustable sleeve or thimbleD is provided which extends circumferentially around the cylindricalportion 13 of the steering-post O. This sleeve or thimble D is providedwith one or more grooves or recesses D, corresponding in number to theengaging devices B said grooves or recesses D being arranged around theinner circumference of the sleeve or thimble D to exactly coincide withthe positions of the engaging devices Wand of such a depth as to allowthe proper displacement of the engaging devices B during the process ofadjusting the handle-bar A. The sleeve or thimble D is cut away for aportion of its in ner periphery at D on a circle of the same diameter asthe inside diameter of the sleeve or thimble D,

but eccentric to it, which in theoperation of securing the handle-barinposition produces a binding or wedging effect upon the engagingdevices B3, thereby making a powerful clutch and providing means forautomatically taking up any lost motion resulting from constant use. T

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show two'forms of constructing the 'steeringpostadjustment. When constructed asshown in Fig. 6, a supplemental post E isprovided having a socket E, said socket E being provided with slots oropenings E engaging devices E arranged in slots or openings E and amovable sleeve or thimble E The steering-post O is provided withcorrugations or grooves C on its lower end '0, which end C is insertedin and carried by the socket E by means of the aforesaid engagingdevices E and thimble E in exactly the same manner as the adjustmentpreviously described. The supplemental post E is provided with a lowerportion E adapted to be engaged and held in position in thesteering-head of the bicycle in the common ordinary manner. Thus mydevice under this construction can be applied to any make or form ofbicycle having a hollow steering-head without any previous fitting oradjustment.

When my device is constructed as shown in Fig. 7, I include the stem ofthe front fork of the bicycle in my combination. The steer-' ing-post'Ois constructed the same as before, having the flutes or grooves arrangedon its lower end 0 The stem F of the front fork of the bicycle isextended above the top of the steering-head in the frame and forms asocket F, into which the steering-post O is placed. The socket F isprovided with slots or apertures F engaging devices F arranged in saidslots F and a movable thimble or sleeve E extending circumferentiallyaround the socket F, all operating in conjunction and for the samepurpose as the devices previously described, except that by this mannerof construction I gain an advantage over the ordinary methods ofclamping the steeringpost in the steering-head, which is continuallyslipping and getting out of adjustment, while in my combination the stemof the front fork of the bicycle forms a part of the clutch mechanism,and when the steering-post is locked in a position it cannot possiblychange that position relative to the front fork except through theordinary process of adjustment.

The operation of adjusting the handle-bar is described as follows: Arider upon desiring to change the position or angle of the handlebar ofhis bicycle has simply to turn the sleeve or thimble D until the groovesor recesses D are located coincident with the engaging devices B whichpermits of the handle-bar A being raised or lowered to the desiredposition of adjustment, during which operation the engaging devices Bare repeatedly forced into the grooves or recesses D of the sleeve orthimble D, but are retained from changing their position relative to thecylindrical portion B of the steering-post G by means of the slots B,and as the handle-bar is moved up or down any one of the grooves orflutes A can be engaged by the engaging devices B and the handle-bar canthus be locked in any desired position.

The operation of locking the handle-bar consists in simply turning thesleeve or thimble D in the direction indicated by the arrow at, Fig. 3,thereby forcing the engaging devices 13 into the grooves or recesses Aof the handle-bar A, the wedging effect produced by the eccentricportion D of the sleeve D providing a safe, secure, and substantialmeans of firmly lockin g the handle-bar in any position.

The operation of adjusting a handle-bar-of the rams-horn patternconsists in throwing the handle-bar forward by means of the adjustmentjust described and locking in that position, then turning the sleeve Eon the steering-post in position for adjustment, and turning thehandle-bar and steering-post onehalf way around in the steering-head,when the handle-bar will assume the position of an upturned bar. It isthen securely locked in the desired position in the manner previouslydescribed.

In the construction of the device located on the steering-post I employa solid sleeve E while on the handle-bar proper a separable sleeve D isemployed; but as the operation and result obtained are the same in bothno special description is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an adjustable handle-bar for bicycles or Velocipedes, a handle-barhaving a plurality of depressions or indentations for a portion of itslength, a steering-post having a hollow cylindrical top portion, saidcylindrical top portion being provided with one or a more slots oropenings, engaging devices adapted to ride in said slots or openings, aneccentric sleeve carried by andsurrounding the cylindrical top portionof the steeringpost and adapted, in the operation of adjustment of thesaid handle-bar, to force and bind the said engaging devices into thedepressions or indentations in the said handlebar, thereby locking andsecurely fastening during the process of adjusting the handlebar in thedesired position.

JOHN LAWRENCE HAMILTON, JR.

Witnesses:

W. A. HAMILTON, D. D. GILMAN.

